Episode 32: Professor Julie Bernhardt Talks About The AVERT Program

AVERT, which stands for A Very Early Rehabilitation Trial for Stroke, is the world’s largest randomized multicenter trial conducted in stroke rehabilitation to date. It compares very early mobilization within 24 hours after symptom onset with usual care in patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke without significant coexisting comorbidity or premorbid disability. The trial has recruited 2000 survivors to participate. It develops and tests various modules to find out what works.

Hand in Hand Show is very lucky to have Professor Julie Bernhardt who leads the program to share with us the progress of AVERT.

In this episode, Professor Bernhardt will share with us, including:

What is AVERT?

How did it start?

Which countries are involved?

What have the researchers found?

etc etc.

Additionally, she will share with us findings on how environment impacts a stroke survivor’s recovery.

Listen to what Professor Bernhardt has to share!

Professor Julie Bernhardt

Professor Julie Bernhardt is the world’s preeminent physical therapist and researcher on stroke and recovery. She has published over 116 papers and nearly 200 abstracts, as well as book chapters, editorials and opinion pieces, most of these in the field of stroke rehabilitation.

Julie now serves as a principal research fellow the division head of Stroke of the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, in Melbourne, Australia and an NHMRC Senior Research Fellow and Clinical Head of the Stroke Division at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne. Florey is the largest brain research institute in Southern Hemisphere.

In addition to leading the AVERT, Julie is a Co-Chair for Australian Stroke Trials Network since January 2014 and was voted by her international peers onto the board of the World Stroke Organisation in July 2014. Prior to that, 2006-2014 Julie served asNon Executive Director of National Stroke Foundation of Australia.